When it comes to our favorite Christmas stories, Charles Dickens has a prominent place in the hearts and minds of countless people around the world. His contribution to this mini-genre can never be overrated, as he influenced numerous writers to put this lovely holiday on the pedestal and dedicate their stories and novels to it.

His A Christmas Carol is, without a doubt, one of the greatest and most popular Christmas novels ever. With it, he “revived” the old traditions and inspired folks in the UK and the United States to embrace the spirit of love and celebration.

In a way, this man single-handedly brought Christmas to the XIX people, and for that alone, he definitely deserves the title of a great writer. Today we’ll discuss the master’s short Christmas tales and stories that will be perfect for a nice evening read with a cup of tea, coffee or whatever you like to keep you happy through the night.

A Christmas Tree

This is a story about the old days and follows an elderly man’s memories of the days forever gone. There’s a lot of heart and warmth in this tale and Dickens describes every single toy/gift/ornament with love and care.

Without a doubt, A Christmas Tree is one of the finest “shorties” by the great writer. If you’re an older man/woman yourself, you’ll most certainly shed a nostalgic tear or two about your own past holidays. The young audience will appreciate the ghost stories.

What Christmas Is As We Grow Older

Dickens talks about the importance of keeping the balance between cheering for Christmas like the little ones do and sticking with the harsh truth of reality. The sentiment is captivating, and the narrative is well-constructed.

At the end of every year, we remember those we have lost and look forward into the future. We thank the Lord for giving us a chance to live on this wonderful planet and “feed” from the immortal hope that this holiday gives us.

The Poor Relation’s Story

Some people call this tale a bit too confusing and bulky for comfort, but the majority of the readers give it the highest praise. As always, Dickens spent a lot of time on creating memorable and engaging characters. For example, Uncle Chill is a “cold-mannered” man, while, say, Little Frank is a small, agile man and also a very good friend to the hero.

Other than that, this is just another Christmas story. if you love Dickens’s writing style and plot twists, make sure to check it out. Partially sad, partially romantic, it’s a tale that will get stuck in your head for days, if not months.

The Child’s Story

The master had a soft spot for kids and really liked to write books about them. Furthermore, he made them the main characters, the heroes of his novels and stories (Oliver Twist is the best example of that). In this short-yet-mighty tale, he took a different approach.

Dickens followed the life of a child all the way up to adulthood, marriage, and, of course, old age. Unlike most of his tiny stories, this one feels more mature, probably because it was partially influenced by the writer’s own life experiences and the obstacles he had to overcome.

The Schoolboy’s Story

Another short-yet-inspiring story about the ups and downs of a regular boy. When he becomes the new instructor at the local school, the other boys rise against him and call the chap a traitor. Forgiveness is the main theme here (it is a Christmas story after all).

However, the “shenanigans” of the lads is what will captivate the young readers and make them laugh on every single page. Even the grown-ups will be intrigued by this story. Dickens is no stranger to creating hilarious situations and funny characters!

Nobody’s Story

Like always, Dickens introduces the readers to a fascinating and beautifully-written plot. Charity, compassion and the ability to care for the others are the major themes here. The Christmas spirit is very strong in this story and will encourage every single reader to be better and to give more.

Many critics call it one of the finest works by Dickens and claim that it deserves wider recognition. Class division, inequality, and injustice are among the biggest challenges of our time, and, hopefully, stories like this one will teach us that charity starts at home.

The Seven Poor Travellers

Sarcasm, humor and the thrill of investigation have come together for this mighty collection. That’s right – there are 7 short stories included, and Dickens created only one of them. Collins, a long-time friend, and collaborator wrote probably the best short tale.

Five other authors have contributed their talents to the master’s original idea, turning it into quite a noticeable work. If you’ve been looking for that one and only collection that deserves the highest praise but is, for some reason, not that popular, just know that this is what you need.

The Holly-Tree Inn

A fine story by Dickens that you can devour in one sitting. Nothing special about the plot: a man is stuck at an inn because of the terrible weather outside and shares his ideas, hopes, and dreams with the readers.

He remembers the long-forgotten years and what life used to be back then. Written in the master’s slow-paced, almost boring manner, The Holly-Tree Inn does come with a powerful message and all the other benefits of a classic English tale.

Wreck of the Golden Mary

As mentioned above, Dickens was friends with Collins and every once in a while, the two legends liked to join their forces and create something truly exceptional. This is a fast-paced, almost shimmering tale that you’ll finish in one go.

After they survive a shipwreck, the heroes end up somewhere they’ve never been, and this place challenges them to be strong and resilient. The passengers come from different places and have their own agendas and goals; however, unless they join forces and act as one, everything will be lost.

A quick fact: The Perils of Certain English Prisoners and No Thoroughfare are among the other short tales written by the mighty duo Dickens-Collins. Make sure to check them out on our website and dive into the brilliant minds of these geniuses.

Going into Society

What will happen if a man sets up an engaging circus in the middle of an above-average neighborhood? The star of the show is an unbelievably small fella who’s ready to amuse the audience for their money.

One day, Lady Luck smiles at him and he wins a lottery with a huge reward. The dwarf decides to spend it all with two of his friends. But, at the end of the “journey”, he discovers that he’s back where he started – in a circus.

Tom Tiddler’s Ground

This story first came out in 1961 and wasn’t written solely by Dickens. In fact, the master’s responsible for only three of the seven tales. Wilkie and Charles Collins wrote two shorties. Overall, this is a pretty great collection and mixes western stories with gunslingers, sunset riders, and Indians with ghost stories and philosophical discussions.

Mugby Junction

Another set of tinny-tiny tales written by Dickens and his colleagues-friends. It first saw the light of day in the Christmas edition of the master’s own magazine. He wrote most of it, while four different authors contributed a single story each for the mutual cause.

If you love when one collection mixes different writers with their unique styles, then you should definitely take a closer look at this masterpiece. A must-have in the library of any fan of literature. By the way, The Signal Man, one of the finest ghost stories of the XIX century, is included in this collection.

Summing Up

So, we’ve discussed a number of short stories written by Charles Dickens, but we didn’t even cover them all. The man wrote numerous shorties and used to publish them in his weekly/monthly journals, feeding the appetite of his loyal readers.

Go ahead and take a look at our fine collection – pick a tale you like and enjoy the writing brilliance of Mr. Dickens and his gifted colleagues.